Experience stories told by Cincinnatians through the unique medium of quilting at a special Wave Pool exhibit opening in January.
Wave Pool is teaming up with Cincinnati nonprofit Learning Through Art (LTA) to exhibit Story Quilts, a collection of nine communally made quilts featuring stories centered around societal issues. It will be the first time ever that all nine of these community-crafted quilts will be on view to the public.
Story Quilts started in 2021 as part of a regional and national “truth and reconciliation” program between ArtsWave and the Centre for Community Resilience at The George Washington University. Since the project began, LTA has organized 10 “Community Conversations,” in which community members from Cincinnati and beyond gathered to share their experiences with systemic racism and social injustice and discuss solutions that could lead to reconciliation.
The Story Quilts reflect and address the difficult questions and complex issues discussed in these Community Conversations — from establishing equity in health care to education.
“Each of the nine quilts on view is special and uniquely addresses the difficult questions posed in the midst of these public conversations: that societal injustices are complex and require community buy-in for real change to happen,” Wave Pool said in a press release. “These conversations are just one step in that process of integration back into the community. But witnessing and holding space for difficult truths is another way in which that healing can happen.”
As part of the exhibition, Wave Pool will host another Community Conversation facilitated by LTA on Thursday, Feb. 1 from 5-7 p.m. at the gallery.
The Story Quilt exhibit runs at Wave Pool from Jan. 13-March 2, with an opening reception to be held Saturday, Jan. 13 from 5-8 p.m. As part of the opening reception, The Welcome Project, which is across the street from the gallery, will have drinks for sale and free food samples to taste and vote on to help them decide which food to offer in 2024.
The gallery will also host a closing reception and quilt gifting on Saturday, March 2 from 5-8 p.m. The exhibit and all events are free and open to the public.
Wave Pool, 2940 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington. More info: wavepoolgallery.org.
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This article appears in Dec 13-26, 2023.